My connection with PASPLE, Peru

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In the summer of 2008, I had just finished studying at a university in Mexico for a year and I wanted to make the most of my time in that part of the world before coming back to the UK. Peru was one of the countries I had wanted to visit for a while so I found a charity that was happy to have me as a volunteer and arranged to work with them for a month. Programa de Apoyo Social Perú Luz de Esperanza ('Peru Light of Hope Social Support Programme', or PASPLE for short) is a charity based in a small town called Chupaca, near Huancayo. They were helping in two schools in nearby villages, Matapuquio and Andamarcas. With minimal resources (whatever I could obtain in the small village shop), I taught chemistry to some of the more able students in the school and ran first aid classes for the mothers of the children - some good challenges for my Spanish! I helped out with various other activities for the adults and children in the village, and while I was there I travelled to some nearby places to see a bit more of the country. For the duration of my stay, I lived with PASPLE founders Eli and Nilton and their lovely family.

Although I was only there for a month, the photos I took in Peru have been the inspiration behind more artwork than any other country.